The 2026 FIFA World Cup has brought in millions of international visitors to the U.S., many of whom are discovering American foods for the first time — and some are absolutely obsessed.
As tourists flock to major cities like Boston, Dallas and New York City to watch their home countries participate in the games, soccer fans have gone viral for their heartwarming reactions to American culture, such as their amazement over the chicken chain Raising Cane’s or their disbelief at the sizes of food portions.
One Scottish soccer fan has been particularly enamored with the viral deli sandwiches from the Southeastern supermarket store, Publix, on a drive-by visit to West Palm Beach, Florida.
In a video with 50,000 likes shared Wednesday, Instagram user @shaunvlog filmed himself trying a chicken tender “Pub Sub,” filled with lettuce, tomato and ranch sauce.
“I’ve got no napkins so this is gonna be a tragedy,” he said, remarking on the large size of the sandwich.
He continued: “Damn you guys put a lot of stuff on this, like, it’s a lot. It’s a lot of meat, it’s a lot of sauce. I’m gonna make a lot of mess.”
The vlogger gave the sandwich “high marks,” saying: “The meat is tender and full of flavor…We’ll be back.”
However, some soccer fans have been let down by their new culinary experiences in America, as demonstrated in a recent video on Instagram by sports broadcaster Maggie Gray, who asked Norwegian fans what surprised them the most about America while outside of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for Norway’s match against Senegal.
Ultimately, one Norwegian tourist was not impressed with the chain Dunkin’ Donuts.
“For me, the Dunkin’ Donuts is not that good,” he admitted in the video.
Other fans visiting the U.S. for the soccer event have also gone viral, particularly for their reactions to mundane American foods and restaurant chains.
German influencer named Freddy, who keeps his face hidden on X, recently went viral with his enthusiastic reactions to trying fast food staples like Taco Bell, Waffle House and Buc-ee’s. He has amassed more than 700,000 followers on X since arriving in the U.S. for the World Cup.
On his travels, he called Taco Bell “the holy land,” and said “lives were changed” during his visit to Raising Cane’s. The soccer fan was also impressed by breakfast chain Waffle House, writing about his 1 a.m. visit: “Great food, great prices, and friendly staff. 10/10, we will be coming back.”
Meanwhile, some tourists have become fans of ranch dressing — which is not as common in Europe — leading the Transportation Security Administration to issue a joke warning to fans to avoid “chugging your ranch” before boarding their flights home.
